Can't clean stain on GH4 viewfinder

Joe Tam · Mar 8, 2016

Hi,

I discovered a strange film over the glass cover of the GH4 viewfinder. I tried rubbing it off with microfiber cloth but it stayed on. I used a Zeiss Lens wipes but no luck. You can see the stain on the bottom right of the viewfinder in the image below.

I rarely use the viewfinder on the GH4 as I usually have it on a tripod and use the flip-screen. I have never had this issue with any other camera or DSLR in 20 years. Very strange.

https://imgur.com/KUeFOz8

bahamot · Mar 8, 2016

Not sure but it looks like the EVF coating is getting "peeled".

Jorginho · Mar 8, 2016

I had this happening to my cam just over a year ago. It was sitting in myu bag and I was very carefull with it. I looked it up but this is just a piece of plastic, not glass, People with the GH4 and Gh3 have had the very same issues. It is a lacklustre component of the otherwise great GH4. Repair costed me 130 euro...

ijm5012 · Mar 9, 2016

Yep, that's the coating on the EVF failing.

I also notice a number of scratches on your EVF. How often do you clean it, and what do you clean it with? I will RARELY touch the EVF is a microfiber cloth, and instead use a rocket blower to remove the majority of the debris, followed up by a lens pen brush if needed.

Joe Tam · Mar 9, 2016

I use the gh4 mainly for video so not as often as i do the gx-8. i had not used it for a while when i noticed haziness when looking through the viewfinder.

i keep it in a case when not using. not sure what caused the initial stain but cleaning it seems to have damaged the coating.

how do you clean any stains without damaging it.

i've had nikons for 20 years and never had viewfinder damage from cleaning.

ijm5012 said:
Yep, that's the coating on the EVF failing.

I also notice a number of scratches on your EVF. How often do you clean it, and what do you clean it with? I will RARELY touch the EVF is a microfiber cloth, and instead use a rocket blower to remove the majority of the debris, followed up by a lens pen brush if needed.

Jorginho · Mar 9, 2016

Joe Tam said:
I use the gh4 mainly for video so not as often as i do the gx-8. i had not used it for a while when i noticed haziness when looking through the viewfinder.

i keep it in a case when not using. not sure what caused the initial stain but cleaning it seems to have damaged the coating.

how do you clean any stains without damaging it.

i've had nikons for 20 years and never had viewfinder damage from cleaning.

ijm5012 said:

Yep, that's the coating on the EVF failing.

I also notice a number of scratches on your EVF. How often do you clean it, and what do you clean it with? I will RARELY touch the EVF is a microfiber cloth, and instead use a rocket blower to remove the majority of the debris, followed up by a lens pen brush if needed.

Click to expand...

THey did not use glass, but plastic instead. Really annoying and I think I am going to contact them about it. Not that I expect anything usefull but this is such a slip it does make me lean more and more towards the upcoming Oly EM1 mkII ...

Joe Tam · Mar 9, 2016

unbelievable for a flagship camera that i paid more than $1600 when it was released. basically makes it unusable unless you are shooting with flip screen.

which other pana m43 cameras have plastic viewfinder screen?

Jorginho said:
Joe Tam said:

THey did not use glass, but plastic instead. Really annoying and I think I am going to contact them about it. Not that I expect anything usefull but this is such a slip it does make me lean more and more towards the upcoming Oly EM1 mkII ...

Click to expand...

Chas2 · Mar 9, 2016

Joe Tam said:
unbelievable for a flagship camera that i paid more than $1600 when it was released. basically makes it unusable unless you are shooting with flip screen.

which other pana m43 cameras have plastic viewfinder screen?

Maybe the question is which has a glass viewfinder screen? I am not aware of any.

DavidH202 · Mar 9, 2016

I doubt that it is the OVF itself., but rather a protective outer VF cover lens (plastic), that has had the anti reflective coating worn off and scratched.

Sorry, glass or plastic, those scratches are pretty nasty, and appear to be from improper cleaning !

Joe Tam · Mar 9, 2016

i've used dozens of cameras in my lifetime. never had this issue. perhaps gh4 plasic is too sensitive for zeiss cleaner or microfiber cloth. never been an issue with any nikons, from d1-d4s. had no idea panasonic would skimp like this on flagship camera.

DavidH202 said:
I doubt that it is the OVF itself., but rather a protective outer VF cover lens (plastic), that has had the anti reflective coating worn off and scratched.

Sorry, glass or plastic, those scratches are pretty nasty, and appear to be from improper cleaning !

fischem · Mar 9, 2016

Some people have used plastic polish (Novus #2 or similar) and said that their GH4 viewfinder looked like new afterwards:

GH4 EVF scratches

Has anyone had to have their GH4/GH3 EVF lens replaced for scratches and how much Panasonic charged for that?Clayton

www.eoshd.com

I'm at the beach a lot and fear that sooner or later I will have to do this too...

Joe Tam · Mar 9, 2016

Wow, thanks. I will try this. The GH4 should come with a warning label about plastic viewfinder.

Anyone sent this recently to Panasonic and what was cost to replace? I'm seeing anywhere from $100-300

fischem said:
Some people have used plastic polish (Novus #2 or similar) and said that their GH4 viewfinder looked like new afterwards:

http://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/9422-gh4-evf-scratches/

I'm at the beach a lot and fear that sooner or later I will have to do this too...

Joe Tam · Mar 9, 2016

I think the haziness from the viewfinder might be from too much rubbing with microfiber cloth and Zeiss cleaner. I am not sure what the stain is but i cannot seem to remove it. Maybe it was a protective liquid film over the viefinder that rubs off with repeated cleaning.

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Can't clean stain on GH4 viewfinder

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GH4 EVF scratches

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